The Expats
Luxembourg United States

The Expats

by Chris Pavone

Identity & Belonging Thriller Mystery 2013

Summary

Kate Moore appears to have built a comfortable new life in Luxembourg. After her husband accepts a lucrative job abroad, she leaves Washington, D.C., behind and settles into the routines of expatriate life: school drop-offs, coffee mornings, and weekend trips around Europe. But Kate is hiding a dangerous secret about her past, and the ordinary life she has constructed is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.

When Kate begins to suspect that another American couple in Luxembourg are not who they claim to be, her suspicions grow. Her husband is also behaving strangely, and his work for an undisclosed banking client raises questions she cannot ignore. As she investigates the people around her, Kate discovers that the lives of the expatriates in her seemingly peaceful community are far more complicated than they appear.

Moving between the polished world of international professionals and the shadowy realm of espionage, Pavone builds a suspenseful story of deception, double-crossing, and hidden identities. The novel explores how people reinvent themselves when they move abroad, whether it is possible to escape one’s past, and how secrets can undermine even the closest relationships. The Expats won both the Edgar Award and the Anthony Award for Best First Novel in 2013.

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About the author
Chris Pavone
Chris Pavone

Chris Pavone is an American novelist known for his intricate international thrillers, which combine espionage, psychological suspense, and explorations of marriage, ambition, and deception. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from Cornell University before embarking on a career in book publishing. For nearly two decades, he worked as an editor at several publishing houses, holding positions ranging from copy editor to executive editor and deputy publisher. Pavone’s experience living abroad helped inspire his debut novel, The Expats. When his wife accepted a job in Luxembourg, the family moved to Europe, where Pavone became a stay-at-home father to their twin sons. Observing the expatriate community from a perspective different from that of many of the other parents inspired him to develop Kate Moore’s character and explore the hidden tensions beneath the comfortable appearance of expat life. Published in 2012, The Expats became an international bestseller and won the 2013 Edgar Award and Anthony Award for Best First Novel. Pavone followed it with several successful thrillers, including The Accident (2014), The Travelers (2016), The Paris Diversion (2019), Two Nights in Lisbon (2022), and The Doorman (2025). His novels have been translated into approximately two dozen languages and have received recognition from major literary and crime-fiction awards. Pavone’s work frequently explores the contrast between people’s public identities and their private motivations. Through international settings and carefully layered plots, he examines how ambition, secrecy, and the desire for reinvention can transform relationships and place lives at risk. He lives in New York City and on Long Island with his family.

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Details
Published
2013
Author
Chris Pavone